Guide To Good Prams: The Intermediate Guide Towards Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also known as a stroller or a pushchair) is the most popular form of transport for infants and toddlers. A well-designed pram is a combination of safety, comfort and style to make walking enjoyable for the whole family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller is a fantastic stroller for infants to three years old. The reversible handle lets you turn the seat to face your child or the world.

Comfort

Your baby should be at ease when you're out with them. There are prams that will ensure that your baby isn't shivering any discomfort.

The sale prams we've chosen in this buying guide allow your baby to lay flat, which is important for newborn babies as lying flat improves oxygen saturation and assists in the development of their spine and hips. The seats can also be adjusted to a more upright position when your baby is able to sit up.

For a truly luxurious feel it's the Venicci egg2 has a cosy cocoon feel for your newborn with smooth, curved lines and a bucket-shape seating that does not recline to a lying-flat position, but has padding on the liner and mattress. It's also lighter than other prams available at less than 8kg but has a sturdy chassis and grained leather details, plus air-filled tyres that are puncture-proof and can take on more rural settings.

The Minu V2 is a great option to consider if you're looking to buy something with a similar look but for a lesser price. The one-hand steer, swish model isn't quite as light as other prams but it does come with a large storage basket. It also comes with an extendable hood that offers UPF 50+ protection to keep your baby protected and shaded.

If you are a first time parent we suggest you consider a travel system that includes a car seat as well as a pram that attaches to the same frame. This allows parents to move their child from their car to the pram without having to wake them up. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a fashionable and practical pram that can convert easily from a lie-flat 'pramette to a pushchair for toddlers compatible with the Graco i-Size car seat.

Safety

A pram should be equipped with a five point safety harness to keep your baby safe and secure. It should not have any gaps to entrap their legs or head. The straps should be padded, and easily adjustable as your child grows. Examine the buckles on the harness to ensure that they are not cracked and show signs of wear. A lot of children are hospitalized each year due to pram or stroller-related injuries. Tipping over is the most common reason for these injuries. Even the strongest prams could tip over if you hook your bags onto the handles or if a child is wriggling or squirming and falls out or in the seat before the harness has been tightened.

Another reason for injury is falling off the stroller or pram. If a child's harness is not fastened properly it could cause them to fall from the stroller, causing neck or head injuries. This is why it is vital to make sure that the harness buckle is always clicked into place.

Some good prams also have a canopy that can be reversible to protect your baby from sun in both directions. This is a useful feature because it will prevent having to wake your child up when you are changing their position in the pram or when you go in and out of shops. Other handy features include a tray for snacks and drink holders for your infant or toddler, a shopping basket under the seat and the handlebar locks into position when you're not using it.

Do not leave a baby asleep in a pram if you are not in sight. Babies are prone to wiggle while asleep and can cause them to roll out of the stroller or pram. This could lead to suffocation and strangulation. A foldable stroller or pram and travel system is not a substitute for a cot and should be used only for brief periods during the day.

It is necessary to take apart most prams in order to place them in the trunk of your car. This process is something you should know before you buy one. Also, consider how easy it is to get the different parts back together and then click them into place.

Durability

A pram needs to be able to endure a long time of wear. This includes the need to endure the mud-filled walks and many car journeys, which is why you must ensure your choice will perform the task you want it to. It is also important for your stroller to have an image or color that isn't prone to fading quickly to avoid looking like you've fallen out of style.

The best travel pushchair prams will be constructed from high-quality materials and are designed to last. Look for durable fabrics with sturdy tires, as well as a well-designed system of suspension. The top prams feature a compact fold so they are easy to store in your garage or boot when not in use.

All the prams on this list allow infants to lay flat, which is vital for newborns as it improves oxygen saturation levels and aids in the development of their spine and hips. Many of these prams have been designed to grow along with your child. Some come with a carrycot, or a reclined chair that can be removed and snapped on when your child outgrows them.

If you are purchasing a pram for the very first time, a travel system that includes both the carrycot as well as a car seat may be worth a look. We love the Graco Near2Me system that our parent tester Jaya used with her son of 10 months. It has an innovative feature that allows you to raise and lower your child by pressing one button. This lets you maintain eye contact with them and keep them close.

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our tester Jess Bird tried with her two kids Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a luxurious pram that converts from a single to a double stroller pushchair with 30 possible configurations. It also comes with premium fabrics, an extendable sun canopy, and puncture-proof tyres. It's not cheap, but you can use it for more than one child in the event of need and, just like the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth with the carrycot included.

Style

Newborns must lay flat as often as they can to help develop and increase the oxygen level in their lungs, which is why it's essential that all prams permit this. Some models allow an entirely flat position using a carrycot that is fully reclinable, while others have a seat which can recline to a horizontal position.

The Graco Near2Me has the latter and it's brilliant at what it does as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tried it with her son of 10 months. She loved the fact that she could raise and lower her child with the touch of a button to keep him in the view of others and still maintain eye contact and closeness.

This frame is perfect to take a stroll around town and the puncture-proof tires allow you to take it off road or over rough terrain. It's a great choice for those who plan to have a second child in the future since it can be transformed from a single pushchair a double or twin.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a premium, stylish option. It's ideal for babies because it comes with a carrycot that can be folded flat and is compatible with car seats when purchased separately. It is able to be folded with the carrycot still in place, which is an option that not all prams have. This reduces time and makes it simpler to use.

Its luxurious fabrics, spacious shopping basket, and puncture-proof tyres are all the features you'd expect to find on a high-end pram, but its sleek frame makes it easy to handle on a variety of terrains. It's also a great choice when you reside in a city and need to negotiate narrow streets or overcrowded sidewalks frequently. Although it's not cheap but the quality and versatility of this model will save you money over the long term by eliminating the need to buy an additional pushchair for toddlers. It's available in a broad selection of colors too, so you can choose one that matches your personal style.